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I've also run into a grounding problem when modifying Jazzmaster or
Jag bridges. It's not a ground loop, it's loss of ground to the
strings. The JM and Jag ground the strings via a tiny wire to one of
the metal cups the bridge sits in. You can lose the connection by
changing to non-metallic saddles, or as I found out, putting too much
loctite on the bridge height screws.
The fix was to ground the strings through the vibrato tailpiece
instead of the bridge. I just drilled a small hole between the
control cavity and the tailpiece cavity, ran a small wire into there
from the main ground and tucked about an inch of the bare end between
the tailpiece plate and the body. Problem solved.
BTW, I wonder why your Graphtecs broke the ground connection. I use
them on a couple Strats and they seem to have enough conductivity to
maintain the ground. Never noticed a problem, but maybe the JM/Jag
saddles are a different material.
Rob Woolsey
Detonators
--- In , "Gavin Ehringer"
<gavinehringer@e...> wrote:
> Dano,
> They worked fine for me, but I play mostly lead so am not too
> hard on strings. Actually, they are supposed to reduce friction on
> the strings and prevent breakage...that's the hype, anyway. I
> never broke a string. My only complaint was that they created
> some sort of ground loop that forced me to use one of the
> original metal saddles on the middle part of the bridge...they
> also change the tone ever so slightly, making it a little less
> bright. But, yeah, they seem fine to me. Better than the rattling
> barrel screws used by Fender a bad design that was one of
> the few flaws of the original Jags and Jazzes, as you well know.
>
> Gavin
>
> P.S. Really love The Nebulas.
>
>
> Gavin
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --- In , "-=Dan Ware=-"
<reverbtank@h...> wrot=
> e:
> > Gavin,
> >
> > How do those Graphtecs work? What's your opinion? I've
> heard both
> > positive and negative feedback on them. I've heard they can be
> > string-cutters.
> >
> >
> > -Dano
> > -=The Nebulas=-
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > >From: "Gavin Ehringer" <gavinehringer@e...>
> > >Reply-To:
> > >To:
> > >Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Re: the jag bridge mod question
> > >Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 22:20:04 -0000
> > >
> > >P.S. You can also just change the saddle barrels on your
> > >existing bridge, since these are really the only difference
> > >between the Mustang and the Jazzmaster/Jaguar bridge. I put
> > >Graphtech's in my Jaguar, which worked great. A set of six is
> > >about $30.
> > >
> > >Gavin
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > >
> > > > -Dano
> > > > -=The Nebulas=-
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > >From: "Cordelia" <cordelia@s...>
> > > > >Reply-To:
> > > > >To: <>
> > > > >Subject: [SurfGuitar101] the jag bridge mod question
> > > > >Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 12:51:39 +0100
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >Can someone point me in the direction of instructions for
> > >modifying the
> > > > >bridge of a Jaguar? You can substitute a Mustang bridge
> or
> > >some kind of
> > > > >Gibson bridge? Is that correct?
> > > > >
> > > > >AJ
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >.
> > > > >Visit for
> > >archived messages,
> > > > >bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
> > > > >
> > > > >Yahoo! Groups Links
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >.
> > >Visit for
> archived messages,
> > >bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
> > >
> > >Yahoo! Groups Links
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
Rob,
My MIA Jag came from the factory with a ground wire running from control
cavity to the vibrato tailpiece, just as the mod you made to your guitar was
described. I have heard from discussions on the Fender Forum that vintage
Jags/JMs were at various times grounded like this, or as in the first way
you described (wire running to one of the bridge posts). Are the MIJ
guitars' strings grounded at all?
BN
Rob:
As Brian said in his response, the AV Jags have a wire from the control cavity
to the tailpiece cavity. I took a few pics when I last had my AV Jag opened up
- you can see it in the SG101 Photo Album section under "AV Jag Insides". As
you can see in the photos, there's not much wire to work with . . .
Brian asked if the MIJ strings were grounded - a quick continuity check of my
CIJ JM show that the strings are grounded.
-Dick
----- Original Message -----
From: reverbrob
To:
Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2004 1:48 PM
Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Re: the jag bridge mod question/ground problem
I've also run into a grounding problem when modifying Jazzmaster or
Jag bridges. It's not a ground loop, it's loss of ground to the
strings. The JM and Jag ground the strings via a tiny wire to one of
the metal cups the bridge sits in. You can lose the connection by
changing to non-metallic saddles, or as I found out, putting too much
loctite on the bridge height screws.
The fix was to ground the strings through the vibrato tailpiece
instead of the bridge. I just drilled a small hole between the
control cavity and the tailpiece cavity, ran a small wire into there
from the main ground and tucked about an inch of the bare end between
the tailpiece plate and the body. Problem solved.
BTW, I wonder why your Graphtecs broke the ground connection. I use
them on a couple Strats and they seem to have enough conductivity to
maintain the ground. Never noticed a problem, but maybe the JM/Jag
saddles are a different material.
Rob Woolsey
Detonators
--- In , "Gavin Ehringer"
<gavinehringer@e...> wrote:
> Dano,
> They worked fine for me, but I play mostly lead so am not too
> hard on strings. Actually, they are supposed to reduce friction on
> the strings and prevent breakage...that's the hype, anyway. I
> never broke a string. My only complaint was that they created
> some sort of ground loop that forced me to use one of the
> original metal saddles on the middle part of the bridge...they
> also change the tone ever so slightly, making it a little less
> bright. But, yeah, they seem fine to me. Better than the rattling
> barrel screws used by Fender - a bad design that was one of
> the few flaws of the original Jags and Jazzes, as you well know.
>
> Gavin
>
> P.S. Really love The Nebulas.
>
>
> Gavin
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --- In , "-=Dan Ware=-"
<reverbtank@h...> wrot=
> e:
> > Gavin,
> >
> > How do those Graphtecs work? What's your opinion? I've
> heard both
> > positive and negative feedback on them. I've heard they can be
> > string-cutters.
> >
> >
> > -Dano
> > -=The Nebulas=-
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > >From: "Gavin Ehringer" <gavinehringer@e...>
> > >Reply-To:
> > >To:
> > >Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Re: the jag bridge mod question
> > >Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 22:20:04 -0000
> > >
> > >P.S. You can also just change the saddle barrels on your
> > >existing bridge, since these are really the only difference
> > >between the Mustang and the Jazzmaster/Jaguar bridge. I put
> > >Graphtech's in my Jaguar, which worked great. A set of six is
> > >about $30.
> > >
> > >Gavin
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > >
> > > > -Dano
> > > > -=The Nebulas=-
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > >From: "Cordelia" <cordelia@s...>
> > > > >Reply-To:
> > > > >To: <>
> > > > >Subject: [SurfGuitar101] the jag bridge mod question
> > > > >Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 12:51:39 +0100
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >Can someone point me in the direction of instructions for
> > >modifying the
> > > > >bridge of a Jaguar? You can substitute a Mustang bridge
> or
> > >some kind of
> > > > >Gibson bridge? Is that correct?
> > > > >
> > > > >AJ
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >.
> > > > >Visit for
> > >archived messages,
> > > > >bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
> > > > >
> > > > >Yahoo! Groups Links
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >.
> > >Visit for
> archived messages,
> > >bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
> > >
> > >Yahoo! Groups Links
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
.
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Hi Brain,
My MIJ Jag is also grounded at one of the brigde posts and it has brass
shielding in it too. (mine is a '93)
I used to have a '02 CIJ Jazzmaster which was gounded in the trem cavity
(a wire runing from the jack to the trem plate)
I noticed that my MIJ Jag was quieter then my CIJ Jazzmaster.
(However I sold the CIJ Jazzmaster favor of a '64 Tremolux head and a
MIJ Jazzmaster, even had some cash left to order Curtis Novak pick ups
for my Jaguar, I'll post a review of those as soon as I got them and
installed them.)
Jerry S.
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Neal [mailto:]
Sent: zaterdag 12 juni 2004 19:57
To:
Subject: RE: [SurfGuitar101] Re: the jag bridge mod question/ground
problem
Rob,
My MIA Jag came from the factory with a ground wire running from control
cavity to the vibrato tailpiece, just as the mod you made to your guitar
was described. I have heard from discussions on the Fender Forum that
vintage Jags/JMs were at various times grounded like this, or as in the
first way you described (wire running to one of the bridge posts). Are
the MIJ guitars' strings grounded at all?
BN
.
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